Catch Me Before I Fall
by Noblige
Summary: Haunted by a tragedy of the past and constant bullying at a school full of rich kids, Alfred hides all his pain behind a mask of happiness. What happens when his tormentor – a certain "awesome" Prussian – finds out about his secrets?
1. Chapter 1

**Summary**: Haunted by a tragedy of the past and constant bullying at a school full of rich kids, Alfred hides all his pain behind a mask of happiness. What happens when his tormentor – a certain "awesome" Prussian – finds out about his secrets?

**Warnings**: Rating may go up (smut), swearing, violence/blood, depressed!Alfred (so there's mentioning of suicide, touchy subjects on certain disorders, etc.), bullying

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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

_Alfred's P.O.V_

"_Mattie, Mattie… No, please! Mattie!"_

_Rain obscured all sight. The world flittered by in flashes of shadowed asphalt, screeching tires, and the terrible, _terrible_ crack of metal._

_Or was that bone?_

_Pain seared white-hot, but the only thing on his mind was cream blond hair and blue – almost violet – eyes disappearing beneath pale flesh. Lenses that helped him see were suddenly gone and there was scarlet staining the imagery shown to him._

_And oh God, why was there that awful metallic scent attacking his sense of smell? It melded into that burning rubber scent._

_Distantly, voices were shouting at one another over the pitter-pattering of the rain and the roar of the blood in his ears. He felt pain explode where hands gripped him, dragging him out of the wreck that was obscured by the rain. Why were they helping _him_ out the wreck? Why weren't they helping Mattie? Mattie needed help more than he did! And oh God, where were his parents? They surely survived, didn't they? Yeah, they were his parents - his invincible dad and caring mother. They'd be waiting for him when he woke up at the hospital...right? No, he saw Mattie. He saw the condition Mattie was in. Mattie needed help more than he did!_

_Thrashing about, he fought back, screaming for them to help Mattie because God, there was so much blood and all that was flashing through his mind was crumpled metal, shattered car windows, and a blood-stained face behind fragmented glass._

_Fear had his heart pounding wildly as he imagined a future with no blue-violet eyes, no soft-spoken voice, and no supportive smile._

"_MATTIE!"_

I sat up, gasping. Sweat trickled down the side of my face as the traumatizing memory replayed maliciously in my head, a dream – no, _nightmare_ – that refused to leave. Clutching my sweaty forehead with my too-warm hand, I leaned forward. Nausea washed over me, my stomach roiling with sickening images that scared me near to death.

Shifting my gaze, I looked out the window beside my bed; however, the cars parked like silent monsters outside made me turn my head…which was a mistake.

My eyes landed on the neatly made twin bed on the other side of the room, wrapped in shadows and wailing at me; blaming me for two years' worth of emptiness and lack of use.

Body moving on its own accord, I tore the sheets off my sweaty self and stumbled the five feet to the opposite bed. Collapsing onto the floor, I buried my face into the sheets and cried; sob after sob wracking my entire frame as I screamed my apologies and sorrows to ears that weren't present.

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><p><strong>AN**: Oh gosh, angsty fanfic is angsty. So...my first ever PruMerica/PrUS/PruAme/whatever-the-"official"-name-is fic even though I'm a strong RusAme supporter. But as I've said before, "Ship Everything and Regret Nothing"! Hahaha...it sounds kind of cliche to me, but whatever. ) This isn't so much of a first chapter as a sort of introductory chapter. Shows what kind of crap my AU!Alfred is going through. ^^;; Hope you...liked it? Sorry it's so short. I'll try to make it longer!

Please review~


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

_Alfred's POV_

Sunlight cut scathingly into my blissful, dreamless sleep, waking me. Numbed legs and a headache welcomed me to the waking world as I shifted my head, catching the faintest hint of maple syrup. As if on reflex, a dry whimper escaped my throat as I pulled away and looked up at a Canadian flag hanging on the wall in front of me.

Pulling away as if I had been burned, I shoved my entire body back until I hit the edge of my own bed. The nightmare and sorrow from the night before came rushing back in an overwhelming wave as I clutched at my hair, eyes watering yet the tears didn't overflow.

"Alfred!" I heard the muffled voice of my cousin call up the stairs, followed by even thumps as he climbed the stairs, "We're going to be late if you don't-"

The door was thrown open as Arthur entered; however, his usually irritated demeanor quickly faded once he saw my bedraggled state and the crinkles in the usual spotless, perfect sheets of the bed opposite of mine. His eyes softened as I felt my cheeks heat up.

"M-morning, Arthur…" I mumbled as he entered the room all the way. A moment of silence stretched on between us as he went to my closet and pulled out my school uniform, collecting the articles of clothing quite delicately in his usually violent hands. His hands drifted over to my glasses where I had randomly discarded them on my desk the day before. Arthur picked them up as well.

"It's been a while since you've…since something like this has happened," He commented, picking my towel off of my desk chair. I uttered a soft noise that even I found unintelligible as he passed the items into my hands. He sighed as he glanced around the room, which was completely a mess on my side. However…on _his _side, it was spotless, aside from the crinkles that had just recently been made.

I left the room wordlessly, not finding the strength in me to make a gibe at him. Faintly, I could hear Arthur cleaning a few things up on my side of the room and straightening the crinkles in the sheets. Grimacing, I apologized to _him_ and thanked Arthur for being there when no one else was.

_**"**Catch Me Before I Fall…_**,,**

After showering, brushing my teeth, and getting dressed, I soon found myself being tugged out of the house by Arthur who already had my school bag in hand. He hastily ushered me out the door to a limousine that looked quite out of place juxtaposed to its middle-class surroundings.

"Hurry up you git, or we'll be late!" Arthur nagged, but instead of responding like I usually do, I stopped and pulled out of his grip.

"I-I think I'll walk to school today," I said, eyes downcast and away from the vehicle as Arthur paused in his scolding. He realized his mistake a moment too late as I had already started walking away from the Briton. There was a quick rustling of fabric when I suddenly felt his presence next to me, a light blush on painting his cheeks as he glared at something across the road.

"I-I'm not doing this for you, you bloody git. I'm doing it for fresh air, and because I don't want to end up being overweight like most Americans around here," Arthur mumbled. I was grateful that he hadn't pointed that fat gibe at me, and also for the hidden notion in abandoning his luxury ride for me.

Unlike me, Arthur and his three older brothers were all well-off. Very much so that they were attending the prestigious Heta Academy located in one of the more rural areas of the New York state. Only a select few students could attend, and the fact that I was one of those students could either be a blessing or a curse.

After the accident and the death of my parents, Arthur's father – my uncle – gained custody over me and…and _him_. My uncle then proceeded to enroll me Heta Academy, despite the fact that I had wanted to stay in my old, public school. The kids who went to the public school were a little more than biased to the rich kids, speaking badly of them out of earshot. I admit that I was one of the ones biased towards them; however, back then, I didn't know Arthur or his brothers. I didn't even know I had an uncle who was one of the wealthiest men in America.

A phrase of colorfully creative swears met my ears as I turned my head with a raised brow in Arthur's direction. Grabbing my arm, he took off down the sidewalk, tossing over his should, "At the rate you're walking, we're going to be late all over again!"

"What time is it?" I asked as he glared.

"It takes a whole blood hour to get from you damned place to the academy on foot," Arthur ranted in response, "I don't understand why you absolutely-it's ten minutes until school and we still have a bloody forty minute walk until we get there!"

Openly gaping, I snapped into my façade instantaneously in retaliation.

"They're not gonna close the gates on us! I'm the hero after all, and the school day can't go on without the school's hero!" I exclaimed. Arthur rolled his eyes in exasperation before tugging on my arm once again.

By the time we hit the main roads, Arthur was screaming profanities at me whilst I ran ahead, obnoxious laughter resonating into the sky as we made our mad dash to school before the gates closed. Besides, even if the gate _did _close on us, the security would let Arthur in with no trouble whatsoever. I would be the one to get blamed, and the one to be stuck with a 5:30 detention because that's just what happened when a poor kid goes to a school for the rich. If you're the black lamb, the odd one out, the one that doesn't "fit in"…then you get singled out and treated differently from the rest. No questions asked, no answers given. It was just how things went in Heta Academy.

Arthur and I flew around the corner, a limousine honking loudly at us as we cut in front of its path. A painful flash of that day flitted through my mind for the briefest moment before I forcefully pushed it away and snapped my mask back in place. There was no time for any of that outside of school drama. If I didn't have this mask on, their taunts and mockery would actually get all the way through to me.

And that was the last thing I needed in my life.

Fortunately, the guard at the gate saw us and let us in; however, not before pulling me to the side and giving me an all too familiar, mock-sunny slip. I stuffed the small piece of paper into my pocket before Arthur could see as he quirked one of his overly large eyebrows at me.

"What was that about?" He questioned. I laughed it off, hoping Arthur would buy the act.

"Just scolding me about being late. Told me to pass the message on to you too," I replied, running a hand through my hair. Arthur eyed me warily before sighing and turning towards the grand structure that was Heta Academy.

The entire campus was colossal, and all the buildings that made up the academy were quit the spectacle. Heta Academy itself was made up of an elementary school, a middle school, a high school, and a university, all of which were located on the campus.

The buildings were arranged in a diamond-like fashion with each school going clock-wise depending on which year you're in. The elementary school was the first building a person would see upon first entering the campus. To the left of the school, if you were to follow the road would make you end up at the middle school. Across the campus and furthest away from the gate was the high school, and completing the strangle diamond or circle was the university to the right of the elementary school should you go counter clock-wise.

I sighed and followed after Arthur who was now running ahead of me across the large field that lay between all the schools. I chased after him, barely having enough time to catch my breath as we raced to the other side of the campus – which, I should add, was no easy feat. The field had to be at least two and a half football fields long from one end to the other. I didn't even have time to glance at the captivating topiary and flowers that were so elegantly maintained.

Even if it was a rich man's world, who said a poor man couldn't stop and stare in wonderment?

There were still students milling about, I noticed rather lately. High school students to be more exact. Usually, after the gates close, actual school hours didn't start for another thirty minutes after that. I knew Arthur and I were already considered "late" since we hadn't made it in before the closing of the gates; however, I wondered what the point was considering classes wouldn't start for another half an hour.

Just as I was planning on stopping, I saw something move out of the corner of my eye and before I knew it, I tripped, toppling head over heels onto my back onto the dew-soaked grass. I closed my eyes, trying to alleviate the pain that now wracked my body before opening my eyes into the sneering gaze of a familiar albino with _blood red_ eyes…

Closing my eyes again, I groaned and struggled to sit up only for a harsh foot to clamp down on my shoulder and shove me back down. I could feel the water soaking into the back of my uniform, and no doubt there were going to be mile-long grass stains all over my uniform.

"Lookie what we have here," That obnoxious voice filled my ears, ringing into my head as I opened my eyes. My cerulean met his crimson as I glared and he sneered.

"What the hell do you want, Gilbert?" I said through gritted teeth. Ever since day one of my attendance at Heta Academy, this stupid "Prussian" just wouldn't stop picking on me. He made gibes, said one too many things, brought up stuff that was uncalled for…I _hated_ his guts.

"What, the fat ass doesn't wanna play?" The albino smirked. His two idiotic friends appeared, both as weird as he was. There was Francis, "le rapist de Heta Academy," and Antonio…who I admit isn't too bad on the surface – albeit pretty e_st__ú__pido en la cabeza_ – until you got to _know_ him.

Some unlucky bastard had dared to threaten his precious Italian boyfriend, and at the time, he was all smiles – looking like he totally didn't understand the situation at hand whatsoever. I happened upon them in one of the quieter areas of the campus only to find Antonio beating the living shit out of that guy with this crazed look in his eyes. I dare say he's as crazy as that Russian guy who sometimes looks at me with these intense, violet eyes that bring shivers down my spine.

However, back to the topic at hand here…or rather the situation. I growled at Gilbert, eyes narrowing as I used my arcane strength against him. Taking his leg, I yanked it out from under the albino and got to my feet, standing over him and dropping his leg like to the ground with a hiss of distaste.

Most of the time, Francis and Antonio stayed out of our little spats, even though the Frenchman would usually put in one or two of his scathing comments whilst Antonio stayed completely oblivious, texting away on that little smart phone of his. However, despite the comments, Francis was somewhat familiar with Arthur, and for some completely out of whack reason, was able to sense any mood instantaneously.

Today was one of those days he spared me and as Gilbert lay there – sprawled on the ground with a contempt look on his face as he eyed me – Francis shot me a look that told me to go before the Prussian had stopped nursing his pride. I shot a thankful look in Francis's direction before scurrying off, swallowing the anger that had arisen when Gilbert had begun his usual tormenting.

_Great, seven more hours of being in the same area as him…_ I thought as I approached Arthur who was staring at me with an unreadable expression. However, as I neared him, I realized he wasn't looking at me but rather at the three behind me.

"I hate that bloody lot, all three of them!" Arthur announced before turning around and sauntering away. Eyes darting back to the "Bad Touch Trio" – as they call themselves – I let out a sigh and followed after the Briton into the three-story tall high school building.

_**"**Catch Me Before I Fall_**,,**

Exhaustion pressing down on my shoulders like a sack of potatoes, I collapsed into the visitor's chair beside the occupied bed in the too-sterile hospital room. The reassuring beeps being emitted by the heart monitor lulled me into a calm that I hadn't been able to feel since around the same time yesterday. With a genuine smile I hadn't shown in two years, I took the thin hand into my own and held it as if my own life depended on this touch.

"Hey Mattie, miss me?"

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><p><strong>AN**: Ooh, intense cliff-hanger...or fail of. Psh, I wonder why you guys all automatically assumed Canada was dead? I never directly said so, did I~? ) Oh, and by the way...I know Prussia's whole bullying thing was kind of fail. Actually, I think this chapter in general was fail. I just wanted the introductions out of the way first so I can move onto some serious grit later on. But yeah, you meet some major players in the story in this chapter. Next chapter, we'll get a glimpse of just who else goes to Heta Academy.

As for Prussia's bullying/tormenting/whatever-you-want-to-call-it. I know, it was weak. I wanted to test some waters here, because personally, I don't know where the line should be drawn. Can you readers help me out? Where I live, bullying is pretty tame and really only centers around snide remarks. But I'm trying to go harsher for Prussia. Just don't know where that line for too much is. Also, if you all have any questions, feel free to PM me. Or if you want me think something is better off being changed with a legitimate reason, PM me too. ) I haven't written serious, multi-chaptered fanfiction in a _long_time, so I'm kind of rusty and seriously doubting my skills as a fanfic writer. Especially after this chapter.

Anyway, if you want translations, the only thing I really used was:

e_st__ú__pido en la cabeza - _stupid in the head (directly translated)

Now to any readers who speak fluent Spanish, I realize this is most likely, definitely wrong. Feel free to correct me as I've stated before. ^^

Oh yeah, by the way... _Italics_ _are for use of a different language, thoughts, and emphasis._ ' _**"**Catch Me Before I Fall_**,,** ' is used as a time skip!Anyway, thanks for reading!

(And please review~! )


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

_Alfred's POV_

"And then Francis came up to Arthur and totally snuck his hands up his shirt. He completely flipped out and started swearing at him. Oh my God, Mattie – I wish you'd been there. It was so funny! But I never knew you could make such combinations… I mean, Arthur can be really creative when he wants to be!" I paused, gasping for air as laughter bubbled from somewhere deep in my chest. I hadn't been able to laugh this truly for a while now… It made me feel somewhat better.

I guess the saying "laughter is the best medicine" is true. Smiling brightly once again, I continued the tale in telling my comatose twin brother just what he had missed at our new school today…again.

"So Francis was all bothering Arthur, and Kiku was…well, he was eating with that Feliciano kid. Ludwig too. Elizabeta passed by to hit Francis upside the head with her frying pan too! I think I laughed so hard, milk came out of my nose which is probably a pretty disgusting image, huh bro? Geez, I-" A sudden knock interrupted another tale I was about to recount. I turned around to see _his_ nurse with a sympathetic smile on her face.

"Alfred, it's eleven, honey. Closing for visiting hours are soon, and it's dangerous to be out on the streets any later than this," She said, her voice sweet like a mother, "You should get going."

Smiling to hide my disappointment, I nodded, "Aye-aye, Jess!" Hoisting my book bag over my shoulder containing homework I had done while speaking to Mattie, I took his hand again. The only sorrowful smile I ever allowed during these visits suddenly bloomed upon my face as I swiped my thumb across the bony surface of the back of Mattie's hand, "Y'know, it's unfair, Mattie. You get to sleep and dream of all sorts of adventures by yourself while I have to wake up at six in the morning to go to school and work my ass off. Here's an idea, you should wake up soon so we can have those adventures we always did before. The both of us, together. Okay, Mattie? I can't wait! I'll see you tomorrow!"

I pulled away after giving Mattie's lifeless hand a sharp squeeze. I brushed passed Jess, mumbling a goodbye before running out of the hospital where fresh tears sprang to my eyes. Clutching at my book bag strap, I trudged home to the little house we used to live in – mom, dad, Mattie and me – a few blocks away from the hospital.

Every time a car came by, I flinched all the way until I reached that particular intersection. There were tire marks where the car screeched against the asphalt, and that dent in the guardrail tinged navy blue from where the paint of the _Toyota 4runner_ collided with it. There was another pair of tire marks from the scarlet _Hummer_ hit the _4runner_ right underneath the overhanging lights that flickered dangerous from red to yellow to green and repeat. Shaking the lurking memory from my brain, I pressed myself as close to the grass as I possibly could without treading on other peoples' property.

I ducked my head down, eyes following my feet as I put one foot in front of the other. Completely disregarding the bus stop that was at the corner, I veered left and headed for the train station two more blocks down. I wondered if Mattie would be willing to wake up if I made life in the waking world sound cool; however, that nagging voice in the back of my mind told me he could see through my lies. He always does, after all. Otherwise, he wouldn't be my twin brother.

Shaking my head of the thoughts beginning to creep into my mind that took a more negative note on things, I pulled my backpack towards me and fumbled around for a comic book of some sort as I came upon the station. Skipping the first two steps leading up the raised platform, I made my way over to the bench and plopped myself down, fishing my favorite astronomy book out to read as I waited for the 11:30 train.

I spied a few college students with earphones in their ears, and I felt a pang of jealousy considering I didn't have the luxury of an ipod. All my money went to my savings for my university fund, since my dream school was Boston University. I was in no way sticking around Heta Academy, even if it _is_ one of the most prestigious academies in all of the U.S, after graduating.

Besides, most of the courses offered at Heta University were business, fashion, or media courses – formatted for students attending the academy to take after their parents and possibly become the next generation of money titans.

Take Francis for example, since Arthur's a bad example – he has three older brothers; therefore, he definitely wouldn't be the one to follow directly in his father's footsteps at becoming the next CEO for Kirkland Enterprises – whose father owns some of the top restaurants in the world. They're located all over the place, Paris, Madrid, New York, and so on. Francis has his father's talent in cooking as well, so of course he'd most likely be taking over after he graduates from the university.

I didn't have any of that. Neither of my parents left behind a legacy that my brother and I had to fill, nor did they own a fortune. We were just your average middle-class family.

Therefore, I savored the freedom of doing what I wanted and becoming my dream. And to be honest, if I was rich with no freedom, I'd trade all that money in just so I could do what my heart told me myself instead of obeying the will of dirty green slips of paper.

With a satisfied smile, I flipped the pages of my astronomy book open and began to read, keeping my ears open for the rattling sound of a train.

_**"**Catch Me Before I Fall__**,,**_

_Gilbert's POV_

Antonio's drums pounding in my ears lacing with the magic that Francis played on his keyboard. Hands going automatically, I strummed the song as the crazy under twenty-one club dropped the bass. All I saw were flashing LED lights in all sorts of neon colors. My mouth moved accordingly to the words, and upon reaching the last verse, Antonio and Francis joined in.

"_This is déjà vu!_" Strumming, hitting, pressing the last note, the song ended – cut off as the crowd went wild. I shot my famous smirk at one of the blondes in the back who winked at me flirtatiously. Pushing my guitar so that it rested against my back instead of my chest, I followed Antonio and Francis off stage.

Tonio looped his arms around both of our necks, grinning widely as Francis not-so inconspicuously snuck a hand behind the Spaniard's back. I didn't have to ask to know where that hand was going.

"Our band was the most awesome out of all of them," I laughed, pulling my guitar off and placing it into the case that awaited me in the green room. Francis merely shrugged and tossed his hair over his shoulder in the dramatic way he does all the time.

"_Oui, mon ami_, but I think we could've picked a more…_refined_ song," Francis replied, only for me to push his shoulder playfully.

"We are _not_ playing any Lady Gaga songs," I stated matter-of-factly, "They're so _un-_awesome."

"Twas merely a suggestion," Francis shrugged. I was about to open my mouth to reply when Tony came out of nowhere and glomped the both of us.

"Lovi said he liked the performance!" He shouted happily. A very unhappy looking Italian suddenly materialized from the curtains, arms crossed and scowling as always.

"I never said I liked it, you tomato bastard," He defended haughtily, "I only said it was_ okay_."

"But if you thought it was okay, then that means you like it enough to say so, right?" Antonio turned around and grinned cheekily at the glaring Italian who only huffed before turning away.

Honestly, I sometimes don't see what Tony saw in that kid. I'd much rather have his cute, younger brother, but my _huge_, _uptight_ brother got to him first.

"So we going back to Lovi's place for pizza like usual or we heading home?" I asked, which was quickly followed by me raising my hand, "I say we go grab some pizza!" And before anyone jumps to any conclusions, yes. Rich kids do eat pizza too. We're teenagers, after all. Pizza's as awesome as I am to be honest. Well, vegetarian pizzas. Meat was so…_not_ awesome.

"Pizza it is, _mi amigo_!" Antonio grinned, emerald eyes disappearing behind tan lids as he looped an arm around Lovino's waist. The Italian retaliated by hitting the Spaniard in the gut, causing Tonio to double over in pain.

"Ohonhonhon, let's go," Francis laughed. Antonio slowly stood back up, wincing slightly as he pocketed his drumsticks. I hoisted my guitar case onto my shoulder as Lovino glared at all of us once again.

"Tch, bastards."

_**"**Catch Me Before I Fall__**,,**_

"One of these days, _mes amis_, that Arthur will be mine," Francis sighed dreamily. I shook my head, sticking my tongue out at him.

"In your dreams, Francey-Pants," I teased, pushing him in the shoulder slightly. He clicked his tongue, sleazy smirk already finding its way onto his features.

"Oh how you wound me," He stated dramatically as he turned onto one of the main roads with a train track going straight down the middle. I tilted my head back and looked out the window, fully aware at how late it was – nearly midnight – and that if my dad was still up, he'd have an ulcer at how I was breaking curfew. Again.

Man, I wished Antonio and Lovino were still with us in the car. However, Antonio had decided to go home with Lovino to spend the night. I vaguely wondered if they were doing…_it_ at that very moment.

Suddenly, Francis hummed softly, to which I lifted my head and stared questioningly at him.

"What?" I asked, glancing out the window of the cherry red convertible to see if there was anything of interest. Nothing…besides the reflection of the awesome me, of course. I winked at my reflection.

_Damn, I'm hot_, I snickered to myself.

"It seems our _petit Am__é__ricain_ is breaking the town curfew as well," Francis said in an amused tone. I followed his sapphire eyes to where a certain blonde was sitting at the train station. He held a thick book in his hand and was reading with those thick glasses on. His hair was mussed up, no doubt from the chill wind that marked the beginnings of winter, and he had his school bag beside him on the bench as well.

"What the hell is _that_ goody two shoes doing out in the middle of the night?" I glared. For some reason, his presence just pissed me off. I don't know if it was because of how he thought he was everyone's hero or if it was the fact that he stuffed thousands – and I'm not exaggerating – of sick hamburgers from _McDonalds_ of all places down his throat every day at lunch.

Alfred was a fake, a poseur. Nothing more.

And I hated poseurs.

_**"**Catch Me Before I Fall_**,,**

_Alfred's POV_

I groggily awoke, shifting achingly as I turned over in my bed. The train had been late in coming, and I had ended up sitting out there in the cold until one – an hour after the scheduled time for the train to arrive.

Without even thinking about it, I knew I was sick. My head felt stuffed full of cotton and heavy as I struggled to sit up. My nose was aching, and my throat felt like gasoline had been poured all along the inside of it, then being lit on fire. In fact, my entire body ached and fatigue weighed the edges of my mind down.

Reprimanding myself for not wearing a thicker jacket, I forced myself up and made my way to my bathroom. Downstairs, I could hear Arthur moving about – putting together breakfast for himself and a simple bowl of cereal for me.

Going through my morning routine, I pulled my second uniform on and hoisted my schoolbag onto my shoulder before stumbling downstairs to where Arthur was sipping at his tea. I dumped my back pack onto the floor beside the small kitchen table and began to eat.

The Briton paused midsip, the cup held delicately to his lips as he stared at me. His toxic greens burned a hole into me as he continued to stare, scrutinizing every inch of my face as I hungrily gulped down the cereal at my sore throat's expense.

Once finished, Arthur still hadn't moved an inch. Instead, as I released my death grip on the spoon, the Brit lowered his tea cup to the saucer and crossed his arms.

"You're sick," He stated matter-of-factly. I rolled my eyes, laughing breathlessly before breaking out into a wheezing cough.

"T-thanks, Captain Obvious," I said sarcastically. A grin was still upon my lips as Arthur narrowed his gaze.

"Bloody git, go back to bed. You're not going to school today," Arthur hissed. My eyes widened. My detention was scheduled for today, and if I didn't show…they'd only double the punishment!

"N-no, I'm feeling fine," I said hurriedly, "Really! Besides, I really want to know what the new chapter we're doing for Biology is. I mean, it's not as interesting as Physics, but hey, it's still Biology!"

This only made the scowl on Arthur's face deepen, "We're halfway through a chapter right _now_. We aren't starting a new one until next week."

I swore softly under my breath; however, I flopped back into my chair.

"Please, Arthur? I just really want to get my mind off of some…stuff, right now," I said softly. I know I pulled a low card, but school helped me with getting my mind off of Mattie. It would be too painful to be lying around in bed all day with the emptiness of the house and an equally empty bed across from me to stay home. Even if I was sick to the point of being bedridden, I'd honestly rather spend it wandering town at the expense of my own health than lay there and have guilt eating away at me alive.

A comforting hand coming to rest at the crown of my head snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked up into Arthur's peridot eyes darkened by a sort of melancholy.

"Fine, but when you get home, promise that you'll go straight to bed? Don't worry about homework; I'll get my dad to write a letter of some sort to the teachers," Arthur said. I nodded, crossing my fingers behind my back. If anything, I had to keep my grades in tip-top shape. If I didn't, then I'd only fuel my tormentors with more ammo to shoot at me. It was one thing being called a nerd. It was another when they called me stupid. Especially coupled with a few other names I would rather not think about.

"Okay," I replied softly, "I promise."

He grinned then, which was something Arthur rarely did, "Good."

Arthur then pulled my schoolbag up off the floor, holding it like a suitcase as he took my arm and pulled me off the chair.

"Let's go then," He said, "Don't want to be late like yesterday again." I laughed slightly at that, feeling the façade slip into place once more as we made for the door.

Upon leaving the house, I felt the warm breath of sunlight against my heated skin. However, the sunny day was made awkward by looming clouds wrapped around the sun but never quite touching it. I shivered slightly as wet droplets of rain touched my skin, making the awkward combination of hot and cold as the rain caressed my fevered skin at the same time the sun harshly beat down on me.

Arthur led me to the limo, to which I declined and began walking the other way. I wonder why he still tries to coax me into riding a car with him when I'd much rather walk. It was healthier to walk…and less memory-inducing. Arthur once again scrapped the limo in favor of walking with me. I would forever be grateful for him for these small acts of kindness, despite how he mumbled something about experiencing a walk in the rain and on a sunny day at the same time for a change.

The route to school passed by pretty quickly and uneventfully as we scurried across the gate right before it closed. I let out a sigh of relief, only to hack up more coughs and a bout of dizziness. Reaching out to clutch Arthur's arm, I steadied myself. A concerned look was given to me in response.

"I'm fine," I assured him; however, he still looked skeptical as I hurried after him with a light pant in my breath. Arthur merely sighed and carried on, shaking his head ever so slightly as we began heading for the high school.

School came and went, and before I knew it, I was entering fifth period Study Hall. The one period I shared with Gilbert Beilschmidt. Upon entering, I spotted his white haired and pale skinned self towards the upper back of the classroom. He was jotting something down in his notebook as I made my way to my seat near the front where the first tier of seats* was.

Collapsing into the uncomfortable bench, I lowered my fevered forehead onto my forearms. I was getting uncomfortable, what with the fact that my body was randomly going from sweltering hot to unbearably cold the next. I knew for a fact that my face was flushed, like I had just run an entire mile while holding my breath. The uncomfortable dampness from the morning's sunny drizzle didn't help the matters either as I shivered slightly when my body suddenly swung to the other side of the temperature thermometer.

If I thought I felt like crap that morning, it was nothing compared to what I felt now. But it was three more periods and I was home free. All I had to do was stay strong. Besides, the bullying had been toned down just a bit today.

"Hey, don't get too comfortable Alfie-cake," Gilbert hollered from the top tier at the back of the classroom, "That entire thing might collapse under your weight!"

Never mind.

I turned around and glared, my fever cutting my tolerance short, "Why don't you come down here and fight like a real man, or are did your jeans suppress your dick so much that you lost both your balls?"

His scarlet eyes flashed dangerously as he shoved his chair back and stormed down the stairs in the aisle between the rows of tiered desks. He slowly came to be in front of me, and for a moment, I thought I saw his eyes flash with surprise. However, what he was surprised about didn't matter as his glare was shoved back into place.

"What was that?" He asked, his teeth clenched and fists clenched. I knew that if I took this a step too far and made it into a fist fight, I would 1) get suspended or possibly expelled and 2) probably lose in two seconds flat because the room was beginning to rock back and forth, like it was a boat on some rough seas.

"Nothing. Just wondering if you get off on guys' junks because you have none of your own?" I replied cheekily. Gilbert slammed his fists down onto the table in front of me. I darted up and out of my chair; however, before I could even make it two steps up the stairs, the room lurchIted forwards suddenly as everything around me spun in a sickening whirlwind of motion. I fell and the last thing I saw before the world went black was Gilbert's face – ruby eyes wide with…was that worry?

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: Haha, sorry for the late chapter. I couldn't get it to sound the way I wanted, midterms, a Biology project, and stress mainly kept me from really getting it how I wanted it. Anyway, yeah, I said you'd get introduced to other "major players", but that was a lie. Sorry... ^^;; You'll get introduced to other people as the story progresses and when they're called for. Oh, by the way...it sounds OOC, doesn't it? I'm really sorry! I tried to keep them true to themselves, but it's...I couldn't do it without toning them down a bit just to fit the serious tone of the story. So once again, I apologize.

I'm also guessing that I probably won't be able to post another chapter until Saturday of next week. Midterms, you know? -_- Anyway, I hope this is enough to satisfy your curiosity about what happened to Matthew? Yes, he's comatose. Yes, he's been that way for two years. And yes, Alfred misses him and wishes he was with him. There's always a big debate in my head about which is worse - death or coma? In my head, death is bad, yes, but that person is gone and in a better place. You know that, and you're able to let go. However, a comatose person is still alive and runs the chance that they may wake up one day. It's hope that's keeping Alfred going, but it's also one of his greatest pains because he's met with disappointment every time he visits Mattie only to find out that he hasn't woken up yet.

I also tried to take my readers' advice on bullying. I think I might just start out with bits and pieces of verbal abuse before getting down and dirty later on. Special thanks to **Powdy** and **Constantly Oscitating** for giving me ideas on how to go about this bullying thing.

Soo...what do you think? Especially about Prussia and America here since they were the main focus of today's chapter? I'd love to hear what you think about their characterizations, especially since I want to know if my characterization of Prussia got through. I tried changing the way I wrote to follow the voice of the character. Did that go well, or was it totally bombed? I've never done that before, so I'd really like to hear your opinions. But...ah, this A/N is getting rather long, so let me end it here.

_Italicizing is for thoughts, different languages, and emphasis_. ' _**"**Catch Me Before I Fall**,,**_ ' is used as a time skip/POV change. Language tidbits are pretty obvious; however, if you're curious about their translations, just PM me. Also feel free to correct me if I made a mistake in a language bit, or if you feel something isn't right, although please also provide a legitimate reason as well.

But most of all, please review! They're the fuel that feeds this fire! Thank you~


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

_Alfred's POV_

I awoke to familiar sounding voices having a heated discussion to my right. However, because my eyes refused to cooperate, I didn't know who those voices belonged to until my mind had cleared up some more despite the pounding headache and fire-caressed skin.

The first one I could identify instantaneously was Arthur. There was no mistaking his British accent and the amount of colorful swear words he was aiming at the other person. That, and no one else had that unique tone of his. I had realized quite a while ago that I had come to take a liking to Arthur's voice. It was the only thing that reached out to me during those times when living didn't seem appealing anymore and I had gone for the special kitchen knife stashed away in the upstairs bathroom.

The second voice, however, was a bit harder to distinguish. However, once I did, I wished I hadn't. It was the annoying, gratingly obnoxious voice belonging to the one person I despised the most on this earth besides myself.

Gilbert Beilschmidt.

And as I listened in on their conversation more, the more I could definitely tell it was Gilbert because of his _German – _not_ Prussian – _accent that permeated his words. Along with the occasional _ja_ thrown in. I also – of course – heard a fair share of swear words being thrown right back at Arthur in Gilbert's mother tongue.

"You bloody git, what the fuck did you do to him?" Arthur hissed angrily, and I could just imagine him bristling as a cat would.

"Me? I didn't do anything! He was PMSing when he just passed out!" Gilbert argued back. I wondered why they were arguing in hushed tones instead of just screaming at each other. Well, more Gilbert than Arthur. I knew Arthur too well, after all.

"He shouldn't have come to school today! His fever's far too high for him to be here!" There was a thump. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I figured it was Arthur hitting the wall or something of the like. I struggled to open my eyes, knowing that even if I was awake, they wouldn't know because of the privacy curtain that surrounds each bed in the infirmary (I know because I've had my fair share of visits to the nurse's office in the past).

"Wait, he's sick?"

_No dip, Sherlock._

"…What, you mean you didn't realize that?" Arthur barked, only to realize his mistake his lower his voice considerably as he continued, "You wanker, _you're_ the one who carried him here!"

_Whoa…wait a sec. What do you mean Gilbert's the one carried me here?_

"Well, _ja_, but it's not like I was- I mean I- SHUT UP!" Gilbert exploded, only to huff and from the rustling of fabric, I could tell he was more than a little irked at Arthur voicing that out, "I have a reputation to uphold, so don't go around saying things like that! _Ja_, I carried him here but, _nein_, I didn't know he was sick. I was too busy trying to make sure no one saw. But what made him get so sick in the first place?"

"The git probably lost track of time visiting his brother last night," Arthur sighed exasperatedly. I screamed at him internally to stop. No one else could know but us; however, it seemed my pleas fell on deaf ears as he continued, "Poor lad's probably hoping his brother will wake up if he visits him more…Wait, why am I telling this, you bloody git?"

"Hey, no need to get angry!" Gilbert hissed. I managed to crack my eyes open to the dim lighting of the room. It must've been sundown by now considering orange light was painting the room. I glanced to my right where the voices were coming from.

"Whatever," Arthur relented after a moment of tense silence, "What the hell are you still even doing here? I thought you didn't care about anyone but yourself."

"Nein, that's not true," Gilbert said defensively, "I care about Antonio and Francis as well. Besides, if he's sick, I'm responsible for his fainting because I'm the one who provoked him."

_Whoa, where'd _this_ Gilbert come from? _I felt my face heat up for some odd reason. Even more so as I imagined him carrying me here. I turned my head away just as the curtain was drawn open. I hadn't even heard them stop talking.

However, when I looked back over, I only saw Arthur who was gazing at me with his caterpillar-eyebrows disappearing into a mess of green-streaked blond hair.

"Alfred, you're awake," Arthur said, surprise melting off his face as a smile came back. I nodded and sat up, the room spinning slightly as I did so. A hand fell onto my shoulder, as if to keep me from falling over.

"How long have I been out?" I asked, rubbing at my eyes and looking about for my glasses.

"Well, it's five in the evening now," Arthur stated as he dangled Texas in front of my face. Taking the red-rimmed glasses, I pulled them on and looked up at the clear image of the Briton.

You know, if one were to look at Arthur – they'd totally assume he was just some punk who hated the world considering all the piercings and neon-green highlighted hair that matched his acid-toned eyes. However, being his cousin and being as close as we are, I know that under all the punk rock music he listens to and the swear words he uses without a second thought, he's really the best person you could have during times like these.

And as I caught the flash of silver hair, pale skin, and ruby eyes…I realized that looks can be deceiving. Especially if you didn't know the person.

_**"**Catch Me Before I Fall__**,,**_

_Gilbert's POV_

"I'm home!" I called, pushing the door open and throwing my duffel bag onto the floor. A maid will fetch it and bring it upstairs later anyway.

Outside, the sky was dark and the streetlights had long since been turned on. Few cars roamed the street, save for the bright red convertible that had just pulled away.

I turned away from the window and headed up the grand staircase that you'd see the moment you stepped inside. My shoes clacked against the marble floor as I took the steps two at a time up the stairs.

Considering there was no response, I figured that my dad must've been working still and Ludwig probably hadn't gotten home yet from Feliciano's. I made my way to the back of the house where my room was and kicked the double doors open, not caring about damaging the locks.

They'll just get replaced anyway.

Kicking my shoes off at the door to my room, I scanned the messy area for the remote to the flat screen that hung from my wall. Locating it under the heap of fabric that was my comforter, I plopped myself onto the bed and flicked the TV on. MTV was on, as always, and some reality show was playing.

For a few hours at least, I could get lost in someone else's drama. However, after a bit…my mind began to drift and before I knew it, I was staring at a simply framed family photo on my bedside table.

I located myself right away, and – as a habit – thought of how awesome I looked even at eight. Ludwig was six going onto seven at the time. My dad held him, and he was shyly looking away from the camera whilst a woman who was all smiles held me on her lap. My dad was all smiles too, and if I hadn't known any better, I would've laughed if someone had told me that was my dad. The stern, disapproving German father who sired me? Smiling, laughing without a care in the world and beaming at his sons like they were the only two things that made him the proudest man on earth? Even though I had lived a time like that – lived a time before my mother had left, before I grew distant, and Ludwig became the one who was forced to carry the entire burden of continuing the Beilschmidt legacy because I'm too selfish to do it myself – I still wouldn't have believed that man was my father.

In a flash of movement, I had the frame in my hand, poised to throw it across the room and let it shatter into a million pieces. However, after a moment of glaring at my reflection in the mirror that covered the entire wall across the room…I dropped the frame and fell onto my back. I glared up at the plain ceiling, too high for me to cover in posters of bands that I didn't even know. The ceiling spoke the truth, spoke of the times when our family wasn't so distant. It spoke loud and clearly, no matter how many things I try to use to cover the entire walls with. No matter what color I decide to paint it from that blaring red to the suffocating black.

There was nothing I could cover the abandonment I felt with...

_**"**Catch Me Before I Fall__**,,**_

_Alfred's POV_

Saturday. I usually spent Saturday just lying about idly downstairs, away from _his _bed and away from memories of when we used to play together. I flipped through the channels mindlessly when the front door was slammed open. There was a flurry of movements and rustling fabric before thunderous footsteps came closer to me.

In the back of my head, the _Jaws_ theme song was playing as a figure burst into the room. First thing I saw was neon green and I knew it was Arthur instantly.

However, fear crept into my body and paralyzed me as his acidic gaze burned a hole straight through me.

"You bloody wanker, what is this?" Arthur growled, holding up a sheet of paper. Printed on it, from what I could tell, was…

My eyes widened as I realized that it was my detention slip. The school's copy was scanned and faxed to my uncle because I…

"Arthur, I can-" I began; however, he launched straight at me. Still feeling woozy from my fever, I clutched at his thin arms as he surprisingly shook me back and forth like a rag doll.

"We were both late that day but they gave _you_ a detention and not me? Why didn't you fucking me tell you bloody idiot! This is unjust! My father nearly flipped when he saw the detention slip until he told me! I had no clue! Why don't you ever tell us that-"

"Because I don't want you to worry more!" I screamed, unable to take the shaking anymore. Arthur paused, realized what he was doing, and then promptly released me so that I fell ungraciously to the floor. "Ouch! Shake me a little harder and my head could've fallen off!" I pulled myself off the hardwood floor and glared, pouting all the while as Arthur glared.

However, not even a moment later and the both of us burst out laughing. Arthur collapsed on to his knees, and the both of us sat – hunched over – and laughed like maniacs until we had both found ourselves totally on the floor, clutching at our stomachs.

"I don't think we've ever laughed that hard before," Arthur remarked after a moment's silence. I nodded, staring up at the ceiling with a lazy grin on my lips. However, as soon as I heard Arthur sitting up, I turned to look at him only to see darkened green.

I sat up, quiet as the severity of Arthur's anger slowly sunk back in.

"I-I didn't want to bother you guys since you guys took me in and stuff when you could've just let me go to an orphanage or something…" I stammered, staring at the floor. Arthur huffed, crossing his arms like he always did when he was cross.

"Alfred, you're family. You're supposed to bother us," Arthur said finally, done with scrutinizing my every inch. "Next time you get a detention, tell me so I can tell those wankers to fuck off."

"Sure, sure," I relented after a sigh, crossing my fingers behind my back as I shifted. His seemingly eternal frown rose up to a smile as he stood and helped me off the floor.

"Good, now it's a perfectly good Saturday. Why don't we go out and have some fun?" Arthur asked; however, I shook my head. Disappointment flashed in those eyes as I shrugged.

"Maybe tomorrow or something, Artie," I replied, "I just don't feel too hot today." For added emphasis, I plopped onto the couch with an arm shielding my eyes from the harsh artificial lights in the ceiling. Arthur's cold hand touched my forehead.

"Well, you do seem rather warm," He said after a moment of silence. Withdrawing his hand, I heard him walk away to the doorway, "Right then, old chap. Rest up, and maybe we can watch a film tomorrow. If you need anything, you have my number."

"Okay." I heard the door close as Arthur left. Pulling a folded blanket off the couch's armrest, I burrowed into the warm fabric, decorated with maple leaves as the a special on polar bears began on the TV.

_God, Mattie…I miss you._

* * *

><p><em><em>**A/N**: So...you know that crazy guy? The one named Life who keeps throwing lemons at you because he wants you to make lemonade or something for him? Yeah, he found me again and dragged me back to that stupid place called 'Reality', which is the place I was trying to run away from. But turns out, you just can't outrun them no matter how hard you try because they're just that persistent.

Anyway, here's the next chapter, and I'm sorry it took so long. To be quite honest, I did have it written and uploaded, but I never got around to actually _publishing _it. So I'm really sorry! Although your comments really made me push for it. ^^ Which I must thank you all for! And please enjoy this chapter (Which, I admit, is shorter than I intended/wished for, so again, I must apologize about that as well).


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

_Alfred's POV_

Sunday was spent in a similar fashion as Saturday, with me just lying on the couch. However, homework was laced through the day as well. Reaching for a tissue, I shoved the thing against my nose as I sneezed. The sudden slam of a door following my echoing sneeze made me jerk out of my chair.

"Scare the bloody wits out of me!" I heard a familiar British voice swear loudly from the main hallway. I turned to find Arthur glaring at me with his acid green eyes from the doorway that led into the kitchen.

"Hiya Artie," I grinned as the Briton came up to me. He held a hand against my forehead with a pensive look on his face before sighing and plopping into the seat next to me.

"There is no way you're going to school tomorrow," Arthur sighed, looking about the kitchen. "What did you have to eat?"

"Well, I had some leftover hamburgers from Micky D's! And I drank some coke earlier today…" My mouth watered at the thought of eating hamburgers; however, Arthur's glare told me to shut up… So I did.

"Git! All you've had to eat was fast food? There's hardly any nutrition in that at all! Ugh, no wonder you can't lose weight for-" He stopped midsentence as my heart clenched painfully. "Alfred…"

"No, it's okay Artie…" I cracked a forced smile, "I eat like a fatass anyway!" I laughed, but even that sounded forced to me as I stood abruptly. Heading to the coat closet at the front door, I pulled a light jacket from there.

"Where are you going?" Arthur asked, narrowing his eyes at me. However, there was regret in his voice. I couldn't be in the house anymore…I had to get out. Tugging my jacket around myself tighter, I shrugged.

"I just need to get out," I said, "Get some fresh air, y'know?" With that, I left the house – slamming the door shut behind me. I sighed, hoping Arthur wouldn't get the wrong idea that I was angry with him. I've been on the receiving end of plenty of fat jokes before, so I…Well, I wanted to think that I wasn't offended by them anymore. But I knew that was just wishful thinking on my end.

Before I knew it, my feet had carried me to the hospital. However, as I looked into the pristine building and then up at the stark whiteness of it against the cloudy autumn day, I decided against going in there. There were sick people in there trying to get better. Those people didn't need another sick person – of the heart and body – to bring them down when they've been fighting so hard to get better. I shuddered as a brisk wind blew by, whipping my limp hair about. I've been fighting since Matthew fell into that coma…but I think I've just about run out of fight.

I sighed as I walked on aimlessly, finding the local park to plop down on a bench in. I closed my eyes, my skin uncomfortably hot against the gelid air. However, just as I was about to pass out on the park bench, the softest sound of music drifted on Mother Nature's breath to my ears. Quirking an eyebrow, I got up again and followed the sound to find someone sitting on a bench, playing the guitar softly. The casual spectator stopped and listened before heading on, carrying on with their life. I looked around for a cup to put a few spare quarters I had into, but I saw that there was nothing… So was this stranger just playing for the enjoyment of others?

Smiling, I hung back and listened, eyes closed as the sweet melody of what I guessed to be an originally written tune floated about the park, weaving between the varying shades of the leaves upon the trees. I felt lost in the song, but all too soon it ended with a single, ringing note strung out – lingering in the air before it too faded. I frowned at the loss of the music, though I shook the expression off my face as I approached the stranger from behind.

"That was a totally awesome song, dude!" I exclaimed, coming up to the person, "It was so-" I stopped in my tracks as the person turned around…

Snow white hair, pale as death skin…and those scarlet eyes reminiscent of _blood_ met my gaze. His face reflected the shock that was on my own face.

"B-Beilschmidt…" I said haltingly, taking a step back as if ready to run from him. His surprised expression flashed into a sneer as he brushed past me.

"What's it to you, Jones?" He put his guitar in its case which he had pushed behind the bench. Packing the instrument away, he hoisted the case on his shoulder and turned to look at me with that familiar teasing glare. "Can't I play an instrument? What about you? Or are you too dumb to play one?"

Anger flared up before I could even stop to think twice as I glared back at the albino.

"Never had time to. I was busy working to earn my money. Was that how you got your guitar – oh wait, I forgot. You don't want to break a nail, so you probably got your daddy dearest to get you that guitar, huh?" I retorted, narrowing my gaze into a glare. Gilbert practically exploded there as he dropped his case. He had me against a tree with a fist smashed across my jaw before I could even blink.

"Don't you _ever_ talk about my dad to my face, got it?" He growled darkly, "That man is no father to me!" Winded and with the world spinning, I felt nausea from my inadequate breakfast building up as Gilbert released me. Falling to the ground, I begged the world to stop swinging from side to side recklessly as I clutched the grass and dirt – anything – to keep myself grounded.

I guess he figured something was wrong when I refused to stand up and make some smart ass comment right back.

"Hey…Jones…you alright there?" He asked after a moment of my sitting there. However, before I could reply, I turned away to vomit everything I had eaten that day into the underbrush. Choking, I sat back – letting out a soft whimper as the swirling world reminded me of the day…of _that _day… The clouded skies…the rain… Was it raining? Flashes of red before a sickening crunch…I was ready to scream when an arm wrapped around my middle. This wasn't part of the memory, was it? I remember bruising grips on my arms, but never my waist…

"Hey, Jones…Alfred! Stay with me! Alfred!" My name being called jolted me back to reality as I looked up at Gilbert hovering over me. I saw worry upon his face for the briefest moment before exasperation overtook his crimson eyes.

"Geez, scare the shit out of me would ya?" He sat back, "You're pretty messed up in the head, aren't you?"

I sat up, eyes downcast. Gilbert stared at me curiously for a few more minutes; however, it felt as though he was judging me. Of course he would, that bastard. Before anything else that would blacken my name could happen, I stood and turned abruptly, running as far away from the park as possible. It didn't even matter where I was going… But before I knew it, I was back at home – crashing through the front door and up the stairs. Flying into my shared room, I collapsed between the beds – panting as my lungs screamed for air.

And it was there I sat until I fell fast asleep on the floor – between the beds. Between clutching onto Mattie and fighting for the both of us…or just giving up because I had let my one true enemy see my broken self.

_**"**Catch Me Before I Fall_**,,**

_Gilbert's POV_

To say that I was surprised to see that irritating kid in the park was an understatement. I saw him, true, but I thought I saw a skeleton in his frame. Usually, with how he usually ate whenever I was around, it was more than believable that he was a fat ass. I guess it was because the school uniform required probably fifty layers, and that was why I'd thought that Alfred F. Jones was kind of overweight. But now as I looked at him wearing a thin jacket on a chilly day like today…I noticed how thin and…_frail_ he looked.

I regretted hitting him the moment right after when he just sat there… I regretted it even more after he puked into the bushes. His face had begun going paler and paler until I had to grab him to keep him from passing out on me – the kid seemed like he was about to, after all.

_Huh…he's really warm…_ I noted vaguely as he snapped out of his trance. Jumping up and running off practically instantaneously right after, I stared dumbfounded for a good five minutes before grabbing my guitar case to follow the crazy kid.

I was lucky to have seen flashes of his clothing as he turned street corners and dodged behind buildings. The way he was weaving through the town, you'd have thought he was trying to lose me. But I kept forging onward until we came to a street filled with houses, big enough for bourgeois families. I saw him disappear into one of the houses towards the end, and as I looked around, I realized how close to the hospital it was.

Humming a bit at that discovery, I took a walk up and down the road. So this was how the poor folks lived. It was a lot better than I thought it would be… I stopped in front go Jones's house, with a perfect little white fence and a door painted mahogany. It was a cute place for a little perfect family to live…right?

I glanced at the drive-way. No car, no garage either. There was a bike, but that was it. The windows were drawn, and instead the perfect little all-American family feel this house was supposed to give off…it gave off a haunted feeling. As if no one had actually lived here for a year or two. I gazed around the yard, taking in the little imperfections that could only come from neglect.

There was an overgrown vegetable garden right behind the house, and the landscaping had fallen a bit out of order in front with no one to keep it together. The pond that supposed to hold koi fish was green with muck, not having been touched for a while now. I looked around some more before coming to the front of the house, looking up just in time though to see Arthur leaving the house.

"Bushy brows?" I exclaimed. Arthur jumped ten feet into the air, thick eyebrows disappearing beneath green-streaked, brown-gold hair. I noticed a slight dark spot – a stain of water, maybe – on the upper left of his sleeve. He even had the disheveled look down…

"What the bloody hell are _you_ doing here?" He hissed, much like a cat. I shrugged, glancing at the house.

"Just taking a walk 'round town," I hummed, displaying my signature smirk. He rolled his eyes and pulled himself onto his bike. "What are _you_ doing here?"

Arthur froze at that, the sudden seriousness in his eyes didn't go unnoticed by me. He cleared his throat and straightened his body, sticking his nose in the air like the haughty Briton he was.

"No reason," He replied curtly before pedaling off, making sure to bump into me as he passed. I growled at him and looked back up at the house. Maybe I should take a walk around the block first… With a sigh, I shook my head. No, I shouldn't even bother. I looked back up at the house again, contemplating what I should do.

However, just as I was about to take a step away, the door opened.

"Hey Artie you forgot your-…What are you doing here?" It seemed that was the question of the day. I turned around to see narrowed blue eyes behind simple wired glasses and a flushed face. Swallowing the lump of nervousness I suddenly felt, I released a bellow of my trademark laugh.

"Kesesesese! I was just making sure you didn't die on your way back!" I said, albeit loudly. The kid winced, though he kept his death glare on his face.

"Well if you're not gonna do anything else, bye," He shut the door in my face as I stood there, dumbfounded as to what had just happened. Glaring at the door, I sputtered.

"Well then! Fine!" I turned and left, seething with anger. You go to check on the stupid kid, and you get a door slammed in your face. Just great. I huffed and stomped through the streets, going around the block of commoner houses.

He was so irritating, that Jones kid. Anywhere else, he was fine and acted like everyone's best friend – despite the scathing comments of his lower class. But then he gets to me and he acts like Kirkland – like he has a stick up his ass. Rounding the corner to Jones's house again, I stopped and looked up at the window to see a flicker of a shadow up there. Probably him…

Inhaling deeply, I headed for the door and raised my fist to knock on the door once more… But…being the coward that I am, I let my arm fall as I turned around to walk away. Just away…

Like I walked away from my brother when he needed me most. Like I walked away from my friends when they got too personal. Like I walked away from all of my problems…

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: Sorry that took so long! *bows* I hit a writing rut, and life got hectic, and...and... I really have no excuse besides my own laziness, so I'm really, _really _sorry! I hope this interaction between America and Prussia make up for the long wait in the update!

Also, for those people who have taken in interest in this fanfic, and have added it to their alerts/favorites/etc., thank you very much! I check my e-mails and when I see that someone has added this to their alert or favorites, it makes me really happy! So thank you very much! ^^


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